APM Terminals Liberia celebrates investment in port operations
The terminal commissions additional reach stackers to the Port of Monrovia to improve operational efficiency and service to customers.
On July 2, 2021, APM Terminals Liberia celebrated the arrival of two additional Kalmar Reach Stackers to the Freeport of Monrovia on the vessel MV JSP Vento, commissioned by the terminal with the aim of further improving its operational performance.
The decision for the additional equipment investment aims to support the strong growth in the Freeport of Monrovia and further improve customer service levels for Liberian importers and exporters. The benefits associated with increased capacity and improved operational performance are paramount to APM Terminals’ goal to support Liberia’s economic growth.
Confidence for the future
Jonathan Graham, APM Terminals Liberia Managing Director, remarked upon the vessel’s arrival: “We are extremely pleased as a long-term investor in Liberia to continue our commitment to grow the port’s capacity and solidify our position as the largest cargo handler in Liberia. This investment of approximately USD 1,000,000 will allow APM Terminals staff to work more productively and most importantly, improve the service levels to our importers and exporters. Over the last decade, APM Terminals has invested over $100,000,000 in the Port of Monrovia and we remain committed to ensuring we do our part to improve port operations and customer service.”
The management team of APM Terminals praised the fantastic efforts of its trusted, skilled, and confident employees and remains confident that their full potential will continue to be thrive within the ongoing operations. The partnerships in place with the Union and the various terminal contractors reflect the renewed engagement of the teams, which leaves everyone confident for the future.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, APM Terminals Liberia Head of Operations Erickson Brown disclosed that the machines come at the time when Liberia is booming with improved volumes, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We, as a Company, will forge ahead to yielding the required results expected of us”, Brown assured.
The employees of APM Terminals Liberia also expressed enthusiasm for the achievement and praised the investment in the needed working tools to make their jobs more efficient and effective.
Mr. Ballah Kpadeh, Head of APM Terminals Workers Union commented: “The workers are extremely happy at this time, after several immense challenges, to experience our inclusion in the activities involving the best interest of the Company. We commit ourselves to working vigilantly on seeing the onward growth of our Company. Together, we can do better.”
The commissioning also brought two trainers into the country to aid in developing the technical and operational skills of APM Terminals employees in handling and maintaining the Reach Stacker machines. APM Terminals Head of Human Resources, Samuel Duo added: “Along with investing in equipment and tools, we are fully committed to investing into the skills and talents of our great employees. In fact, we have recently improved and expanded our crane and reach stacker operators’ training and simulator programme to allow employees to both improve their skill level and learn to multi-skill on different types of port equipment.”
Managing Director Jonathan Graham concluded: “APM Terminals Liberia, with the full support of the global APM Terminals organisation, has developed a Lean Way of Working and this investment will allow us to perform better. Our top priority is serving the customers and enabling Liberia in global trade and we are steadfast in this commitment.”
